The present invention relates to an air intake manifold for a vehicle ventilation system. In one aspect, it relates to an air intake manifold having a secondary plenum chamber positioned within a primary plenum chamber.
It is known to provide an air intake manifold for the ventilation system of a vehicle in order to control the location and source of ventilation air, for example to avoid drawing in exhaust fumes or air from the engine compartment. Typically, such a ventilation intake manifold is positioned to draw in fresh exterior air. However, such exterior air which may contain environmental water (e.g., rain, ice, snow) or debris (e.g., leaves, evergreen needles, grit). Such water and/or debris can damage components within the ventilation system or restrict the flow of air if they are allowed pass through the ventilation intake manifold into the ventilation system.
A common location for placement of ventilation intake manifolds is at the rear of a vehicle""s cowling just below the front windshield. It is also common to place closely spaced bars or a screen across the manifold inlet to prevent larger debris from entering. However, known ventilation intake manifolds have disadvantages in their design. For example, the air inlet of some manifolds can be blocked by a thin layer of leaves, snow, or other debris collecting on the inlet screen. In other ventilation intake manifolds, water from rain or melted snow or ice can pass through the ventilation manifold and enter the ventilation system. In still other manifolds, smaller debris which enter the ventilation manifold cannot be conveniently extracted, allowing them to accumulate over time until the air flow is blocked.
A need therefore exists, for a ventilation intake manifold having an inlet which is not easily clogged by environmental debris but which prevents such debris from entering the ventilation system. A need further exists, for a ventilation intake manifold which separates water in the inlet air so that it does not enter the ventilation system. Still further, a need exists for a ventilation air intake manifold which allows the collected debris to be manually extracted from the manifold without requiring disassembly of the manifold.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air intake manifold for a vehicle ventilation system that can hinder debris and water from entering the ventilation system without significantly restricting the air flow.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air intake manifold which separates water in the inlet air so it does not enter the ventilation system.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an air intake manifold which allows collected debris to be manually extracted from the manifold without requiring disassembly of the manifold.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an air intake manifold for a vehicle ventilation system is provided to prevent debris and fluids from entering the vehicle ventilation system along with the ventilation intake air. The air intake manifold comprises a primary plenum chamber and a secondary plenum chamber. The primary plenum chamber has an intake passageway formed therein. The intake passageway is adapted to allow air from the exterior of the vehicle to enter the primary plenum chamber. The secondary plenum chamber is located within the primary plenum chamber and is fluidly connected to the primary plenum chamber. The secondary plenum chamber is adapted to receive air from the primary plenum chamber. An outlet passageway is formed in the secondary plenum chamber. The outlet passageway fluidly connects the secondary plenum chamber to the primary plenum chamber. Hence, the ventilation intake air travels from the exterior of the vehicle into the primary plenum chamber, then into the secondary plenum chamber, then into the ventilation system.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an air intake manifold for a vehicle ventilation system comprises a primary plenum chamber and a secondary plenum chamber. The primary plenum chamber has an intake passageway formed therein. The intake passageway is adapted to allow air from the exterior of the vehicle to enter the primary plenum chamber. The secondary plenum chamber has a first and second passageway formed therein. The first passageway fluidly connects the primary plenum chamber to the secondary plenum chamber. A filter member covers the first passageway to prevent objects of at least a predetermined size from entering the secondary plenum chamber via the first passageway. The second passageway is formed in the lower portion of the secondary plenum chamber and it also fluidly connects the primary plenum chamber to the secondary plenum chamber. One purpose of the second passageway is to allow fluids and objects that have passed through the filter member to drain from the secondary plenum chamber. An outlet passageway is formed in the secondary plenum chamber. The outlet passageway fluidly connects the secondary plenum chamber to the ventilation system. Thus, the ventilation intake air can travel from the exterior of the vehicle to the primary plenum chamber, then to the secondary plenum chamber, then to the ventilation system. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the secondary plenum chamber may be located within the primary plenum chamber.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an air intake manifold for a vehicle ventilation system comprises a primary plenum chamber and a secondary plenum chamber located within the primary plenum chamber. The primary plenum chamber has a bottom, lateral walls, and a shield. The shield is at least a partial top for the primary plenum chamber. An intake passageway is formed at the upper portion of the primary plenum chamber in either the top, a lateral side, or both. The secondary plenum chamber has a bottom, lateral walls, and a top. In one embodiment, the primary and secondary plenum chambers may share at least one common lateral wall. A secondary inlet passageway is formed in an upper portion of the secondary plenum chamber in either the top, a lateral side, or both. The secondary inlet passageway fluidly connects the primary and secondary plenum chambers. A filter member covers the secondary inlet passageway to prevent objects larger than openings in the filter member from entering the secondary plenum chamber via said secondary inlet passageway. A primary drain passageway is formed in the lower portion of the primary plenum chamber to allow fluids and objects smaller than the primary drain passageway to exit the primary plenum chamber. A secondary drain passageway is formed in a lower portion of the secondary plenum chamber in either the bottom, a lateral side, or both. One purpose of the secondary drain passageway is to allow fluids and objects that have passed through the filter member to drain from the secondary plenum chamber. The bottom of the secondary plenum chamber is separated from the bottom of the primary plenum chamber by a first spaced distance. The first spaced distance provides a buffer zone for when fluids accumulate in the lower portion of the primary plenum chamber to prevent them from entering the secondary plenum chamber via the secondary drain passageway. An outlet passageway is formed in the secondary plenum chamber to fluidly connect the secondary plenum chamber to the ventilation system. In another embodiment, the secondary inlet passageway may be formed in the top of the secondary passageway and the shield may be separated from the top of the secondary plenum chamber by a second spaced distance. This second spaced distance allows air within the primary plenum chamber to flow into the secondary inlet passageway.